Forget the attack on our democracy, when they cunningly crafted a plan that allowed them to spend more than a million dollars over the limit allowed, in the crucial final days of the campaign.

Elections Canada has opened a second front in its battle with the Conservative party over what it considers systematic attempts to hide national campaign expenses during the 2006 election. The Canadian Press has learned that chief electoral officer Marc Mayrand has taken the governing party to task for failing to properly report the cost of running two regional campaign offices in Quebec.“It is clear that the party incurred all expenses related to both the Montreal and Quebec City offices,” Mr. Mayrand wrote in a Sept. 8 letter to Senator Irving Gerstein, chairman of the Conservative Fund. “It also appears clear that the (local) campaigns did not use or benefit from the offices, employees or office equipment.” The letter and related correspondence were uncovered by respected political website PunditsGuide.ca and provided to The Canadian Press.